Chris Smith, RLT-C, SSC

From childhood, we’re fed a simple story: love is about finding “the one” who completes us. Whether through Disney movies or the relationships we observed growing up, we absorb the idea that true love should be effortless and that a soulmate will magically erase our loneliness and struggles.

But real relationships don’t follow a fairy tale script. When the honeymoon phase fades, many feel lost, frustrated, or disconnected—wondering why love doesn’t look the way they imagined. The truth? We unconsciously choose partners based on familiar emotional dynamics from our past, often recreating unresolved patterns without realizing it.

The good news is that challenges don’t mean you’re in the wrong relationship. They mean you're in the right relationship for growth. You just weren’t taught the skills to navigate intimacy in a way that deepens connection.

Relationships thrive not when each partner focuses on getting their individual needs met, but when both align around shared values and a common purpose. Instead of a “ME versus YOU” dynamic, lasting intimacy is built by prioritizing the “US.”

Through direct and compassionate feedback, we’ll uncover the patterns that are keeping you stuck and shift your interactions toward deeper connection. This means moving beyond transactional compromises and learning how to operate as a team—where both partners feel valued, understood, and fully invested in each other’s happiness.

We’ll use a combination of cutting-edge couples therapy, somatic learning, and emotional self-awareness to create real, lasting change. But learning new skills isn’t enough—you also need to address the inner barriers that keep you from applying them. Together, we’ll work through the resistance, defenses, and past conditioning that may be holding you back from the relationship you truly desire.

 In a culture obsessed with achievement, we often lose touch with ourselves. The pursuit of success and validation can disconnect us from what truly matters—authentic connection and meaning.

Mindful self-compassion is often the key to breaking free from these patterns. By meeting yourself with kindness instead of judgment, you can uncover what your spirit truly seeks. What lessons are you here to learn? What unique gifts do you bring to your relationships and the world?

As your guide, I’ll help you cultivate self-awareness and purpose, fostering deeper, more authentic connections. This process isn’t always easy—it requires seeing yourself and your relationships as they truly are. But when you embrace who you are with compassion, intimacy becomes something you create with intention, rather than something you chase.